Why are so many Jews called Stein when this is a German Christian name and German word?

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Those are the Jews that lived in Germany for centuries and adopted those names

Anonymous · 10 months ago

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We didn't use surnames at all when we first entered the diaspora in places like Europe. This is why European Jews tend to have European names. Sephardic Jews tend to have Spanish sounding names. North African and middle eastern Jews tend to have Arabic sounding names (such as Syrian Jew Paula Abdul). Jews adapted to the places where they lived.

But there's a longstanding tradition amongst families that immigrate to Israel to change their surnames to more Hebrew sounding ones. Gal Gadot's parents were formerly Greensteins, as just one example.

You are mistaken, stein (stone) is not and never has been a Christian name in German speaking countries.
It was adopted by many ashkenazi Jews as part of their surname after the Edict of Tolerance (1782) compelled all Jews to take a German surname in Prussia, and the Austo-Hungarian Empire then followed suit. So they often chose a toponymic surname, like stein or berg.

Personally, I always thought the ceramic beer mugs were called Steins, but apparently that's just for English tourists.

I have never really thought about it. Life is full of little mysteries, I suppose.

Fun fact: Racial Jews (Semites) are not Europeans and therefore, are not "white".

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Why are so many Jews called Stein when this is a German Christian name and German word?